Ben Stokes announces indefinite break from all forms of cricket to prioritise mental health; cricket fraternity reacts

Ben Stokes announces indefinite break from all forms of cricket to prioritise mental health; cricket fraternity reacts

Ben Stokes

Ace English all-rounder Ben Stokes will not be seen in action during the upcoming five-match Test series against India as he has announced an indefinite break from all forms of the game. Stokes took this encouraging decision to “focus on his mental well-being”.

Apart from prioritising his mental health, the World Cup winner took this decision to rest his left index finger, injured while playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the first phase of IPL 2021. Moreover, his finger’s healing process was delayed owing to his return to competitive cricket earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has shown their full support for the 30-year-old. The ECB stated that they “fully support” Stokes’ decision and will continue extending help to him during the time he stays away from the game.

In a recent statement issued by their Board, Ashley Giles, Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket was quoted saying:

“Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and well being. Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be the mental health and welfare of all of our people.”

“The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment, but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this. Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments over the last 16 months has had a major impact on everyone’s wellbeing. Ben will be given as long as he needs, and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future.”

Twitterati reacts to Stokes’ sudden announcement

Ben Stokes’ decision of not playing any form of cricket for some time took the cricket fraternity on social media by storm. Netizens which included the likes of several former cricketers and experts sent their messages in support of the English cricketer.

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